In computer networks, data is transmitted in the form of packets (sometimes referred to as datagrams, segments, blocks, cells or frames) from a source to a destination via networking devices (e.g., routers, switches, etc.). A sequence of packets transmitted from a source to a destination is referred to as a network or packet flow.
Certain networking devices include hardware and/or software features that are configured to process (i.e., perform operations with or on) a packet flow that passes through the networking device. These networking device features may include, for example, a firewall feature, a Network Address Translation (NAT) feature, a flow export feature, etc.